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' 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

E. D. BROWN 8; A. J. HOAG. Traction-Engine.

N0. 225,560. Patented Mar. 16, .1880.

' 2 SheQts Sheet-fz. E. D. BROWN & A. J. HOAG.

Traction-Engine;

Patented Mar. 16,.1sso.

Inventors.

N-FETERS, FHQTQUTHdQRAPHER. WASHINGTON. D C- UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDMUND D. BROWN AND ANDREW J. HOAG, OF BATTLE GREEK, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNORS TO NICHOLS, SHEPARD & O0.

TRACTION-ENGINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 225,560, dated March 16, 1880,

Application filed January 28, 1880.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, EDMUND D. BROWN and ANDREW J. HOAG, both of Battle Creek, county of Calhoun, State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Traction-Engines, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings, making part of this specification, in which-- Figure lis a perspective view of a tractionengine with our improvements applied. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same with the bandwheel removed, showing the arrangement of the gearing for propelling the traction-wheels; I 5 and Fig. 3 shows the gearing adjusted for backing the engine.

Similar letters of reference denote corresponding parts wherever used.

The invention relates to a novel arrange- 2o ment of gearing interposed between the main driving or engine shaft and the traction-wheels, by means or through the adjustment of which the direction of movement of the machine or engine over the surface of the ground can be reversed without reversing the engine or the direction of rotation of the engine-shaft, as hereinafter explained.

In the accompanying drawings, A repre sents the boiler, and B the fire-box, said parts 0 constituting the body of the machine, mounted upon traction-wheels O O, and a forward pivoted guiding-truck, 1), having the tongue or pole for the attachment of the team for guiding, and also for drawing or propelling, the

5 engine when required. The engine which may be of any approved form, is supported upon the boiler, and serves, through the usual arrangement of piston, connecting-rod, and crank, to impart motion to the main driving or engine shaft E, carrying the band and fly wheel F,

from which power is derived for actuating agricultural and other machinery to which portable engines are applicable, the parts above described having any usual or preferred con- 5 struction and arrangement.

The traction-wheels G C have driving-gears (J 0 connected with them, either directly or through the main axle H, upon which they are mounted, and motion is imparted to the gears O G and traction-wheels G C from the engine-shaft, for propelling the engine over the surface of the ground, as follows: A secondary shaft, H, arranged in advance of and parallel with the axle, is mounted in suitable bearings connected either with the bottom of the boiler in front of thefire-box, or with the fire-box itself, as preferred. This secondary shaft has at each end a gear-wheel, I, one meshing with and drivin g the wheel 0?, and the other the wheel O ,and is provided, near one of the wheels H, with a gearwheel, J, through which motion is imparted to shaft H and gears I from a gearwheel, K mounted upon a stud-shaft, L, formed upon or supported in a suitable bearingbracket at the side of the boiler. The shaft is also supports and forms the fulcrum for a lever, L, pivoted thereon, said lever at its fulcrum end being made in the bell-crank or angular form shown, and adapting it to receive two gears, K K mounted upon stud-shafts k formed upon or rigidly connected with the lever at the angles or upon the arms of the lever, as shown, the arrangement being such that the gears K K are always in mesh one with the other, and the one, K, with the gear K around which it is adjustable with the lever L. The engineshaft E has a driving-gear, K, upon it, and the arrangement of the gears K K relative to the gear K is such that by vibrating the lever L, supporting said gears, either gear K or K can be thrown into mesh with said gear K for communicating motion to the tractionwheels, according as it is desired to move the engine forward or backward.

Thus it will be seen that if the forward end of 8 5 lever L is depressed or moved downward, the wheel K, which is in gear with wheel K will be rocked forward into gear with wheel K, and motion will be communicated from said gear K, directly through wheel K, to wheel K while the gear K which, by the same movement of the lever is thrown out of mesh with wheel K, will simply rotate on its shaft as an idle-wheel driven by wheel K. Under this adjustment, with the arrangement of gearing shown, the traction-wheels will be rotated for giving a forward movement to the machine or engine.

0n the other hand, if it is desired to propel the machine or engine backward, or in the 100 reverse direction, over the ground, by raising the lever L the geanwheel K is thrown out of mesh with wheel K, and by the same movement the wheel K will be thrown into mesh therewith, and motion will then be communicated, through the gears K and K, to gear K reversing the movement of said gear and the direction of movement of the engine over the ground without reversing the engine or the direction. of rotation of the main driving or engine shaft E, said shaft rotating always in the same direction whether the machine is being propelled forward or backward over the ground. In this way the means for reversing the engine, consisting ordinarily of a double eccentric and link motion, can be dispensed with, and greater simplicity and economy in construction attained.

Parts of the traction-engine not particularly described may be constructed and arranged in any usual or preferred way.

Having now described our invention, we claim- 1. In a traction-engine, the gears K K mounted on adjustable shafts interposed between the main engine-shaft and the tractionwheels, said gears being always in mesh one with the other, and one of them, K, with a transmitting gear-wheel, around which said gears are adjustable, the arrangement being substantially as described, whereby either of said gears may be thrown into mesh with a gear on the engineshaft, as desired, for changing the direction of travel without reversing the engine or the direction of rotation of the en gine-shaft.

2. In a tractionengine, the transmittinggears K K, interposed between the engineshaft and the traction-wheels upon independent axes attached to an adjusting-lever, whereby they can be adjusted for throwing either of said gear-wheels into engagement with the drivinggear, as desired, for reversing the movement of the traction-wheels, substantially as described.

3. The combination, with the driving-gear K on the engine-shaft, of gears K K made adjustable around the transmitting-gear K and either of which may be thrown into mesh with gear K, for imparting motion to gear K and thence, through the secondary shaft, to the traction-wheels, for propelling the same, all arranged and operating substantially as and for the purpose described.

EDMUND D. BROWN. ANDREW J. HOAG.

Witnesses:

J OHN H. CHAMPION, OHARLEs H. HIoKs. 

